NORTH BAY BOH EMI A N | MAR C H 1 6-22, 20 1 1 | BO H E M I AN.COM
16
Wineries
Most reviews by James Knight. Note: Those listings marked ‘WC’ denote wineries with caves. These wineries are usually only open to the public by appointment.
SONOMA COUNTY Alexander Valley Vineyards At family-run Alexander Valley Vineyards, the Wetzels serve as curators of local history, having restored Cyrus’ original adobe and schoolhouse. 8644 Hwy. 128, Healdsburg. Tasting room open daily, 10am–5pm. 707.433.7209.
Copain Wine Cellars Barn-style tasting room provides panoramic view of the Russian River Valley and a peek into the cellar from whence emanate low-alcohol, food-friendly, continentalstyle Syrah and Pinot Noir crafted with subtle oak, forest-floor notes and cool dark fruit flavors on a smooth finish. 7800 Eastside Road, Healdsburg. Open Thursday– Sunday, 11am–5pm; Tuesday– Wednesday, by appointment. 707.836.8822.
Fetzer Vineyards Even as a corporate giant, Fetzer retains its conscience about the earth, the grapes, the land and its wine. Chardonnay is what Fetzer does especially well. The winery also has a small deli and inn. 13601 Old River Road, Hopland. Open daily, 10am–5pm. 800.846.8637. Gourmet au Bay Seafood takes to wine even better than water. Wine bar and retail shop offers flights served on custom wooden “surfboards,” artisan cheese and cracker plate, and liberal bring-your-own picnic policy. Cold crab cakes and sparkling wine at sunset on the bay? Sounds like a date. 913 Hwy. 1, Bodega. Wine surfing, $8. 707.875.9875.
Paul Hobbs Winery Unfiltered and unfined wines, fermented with native yeasts. 3355 Gravenstein Hwy. N. (Highway 116), Sebastopol. By appointment. 707.824.9879.
St. Francis Winery Simple but cozy, inspired by the monk St. Francis and styled as a California mission. Beautiful views and food pairings. 100 Pythian Road, Santa
Rosa. Open daily, 10am–5pm. 800.543.7713, ext. 242.
3340 Hwy. 128, Calistoga. 707.942.6684.
Thumbprint Cellars
Castello di Amorosa
Erica and Scott LindstromDake started Thumbprint in their garage, and recommend vegetarian food parings with their wine. 36 North St., Healdsburg. Open daily, 11am–6pm. 707.433.2393.
Twomey Cellars Framed by the spacious environs, through a massive glass wall, a panoramic $10 million view of the Russian River Valley awaits tasters. 3000 Westside Road, Healdsburg. Open daily, 9am–5pm. 800.505.4850. Wilson Winery Friends should never let friends drink shitty wine. Do you have a truck? After all, friends don’t let friends drink alone. 1960 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. Open daily, 11am– 5pm. 707.433.4355.
MARIN COUNTY Point Reyes Vineyards The tasting room features many varietals but the main reason to go is for the sparkling wines. Open Saturday–Sunday, 11am–5pm. 12700 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes. 415.663.1011.
Ross Valley Winery In existence since 1987, the Ross Valley Winery produces Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Zin port wines. 343 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo. Open Tuesday– Sunday, 1–7pm. 415.457.5157.
NAPA COUNTY Bennett Lane Winery The old trope “beer-drinking NASCAR fans vs. Chardonnaysipping highbrows” runs out of gas at a winery that sponsors an annual NASCAR race and has its own car, emblazoned with grapes. A Roman emperor who appreciated hearty vino as much as a good chariot race inspired Maximus White and Red “feasting wines.”
Not only an “authentic Medieval Italian castle,” but authentically far more defensible than any other winery in Napa from legions of footmen in chain mail. In wine, there’s something for every taste, but don’t skip the tour of great halls, courtyards, cellars, and—naturally—an authentic dungeon. . 4045 N. St. Helena Hwy., Calistoga. 9:30am–5pm. Tasting fees, $10–$15; tours, $25–$30. Napa Neighbor discounts. 707.967.6272.
Round Pond Estate Estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc served tableside on the terrace with scrumptious food pairings. Who can’t imagine cozying up next to the big gas-burning hearth, watching the sun set and savoring that Rutherford dusk? 875 Rutherford Road, Rutherford. Tastings by appointment daily, 11am to 4pm. $25. 888.302.2575.
Storybrook (WC) Jerry and Sigrid Seps and a few likeminded winemakers founded Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP), through which they continue to proselytize on behalf of “America’s heritage grape.” 3835 Hwy. 128, Calistoga. By appointment. 707.942.5310.
Taste at Oxbow Discover refreshing white varietals Albariño and Vermentino in stylish setting across from Oxbow Market, then move on to Pinot Noir from Carneros pioneer Mahoney Vineyards; Waterstone Wines, too. 708 First St., Napa. Sunday– Thursday, 11am–7pm; Friday– Saturday, 11am–9pm. Tasting fee $10. 707.265.9600. Vincent Arroyo Winery Small, tasting room is essentially a barn with a table near some barrels, but very friendly, with good wines. 2361 Greenwood Ave., Calistoga. Open daily, 10am– 4:30pm. 707.942.6995
ZLUO 8 Russian River Vineyards
I
t was five years ago this winter we last reported from this place. Then, under gathering clouds of transition, we feared that the iconic compound known for decades as “Topolos” was headed for a precipitous decline. The restaurant was closed, the wine program erratic—would the grapes soon be overcome by blackberry vines, a cloud of bats streaming out at dusk from under the steeply pitched, wrecked roofs? Locals say the tormented ghost of Stu Pedasso wanders the grounds, searching for his lost corkscrew . . . for eternity!
It’s all true about the bats, you know. Over a thousand of the furry insectivores (like miniature pugs, except with wings, cuter and more useful) have taken up residence in the building’s twin cupolas, built to echo the Russian colony at Fort Ross. They’ve even moved into the former bride and groom’s rooms. These days, weddings take place under a grand oak tree in the vineyard, and ceremonies are relatively mosquito-free. Thank a bat. During the light of day, things are looking up at Russian River Vineyards. The new restaurant, Corks, has a new chef and new menu; the dining room a clean, updated look. After a rocky start, the new regime has got it right. The tarted-up, awkwardly placed bar and the raisined glop of a Syrah we tasted last year are gone, replaced by a simple slab of tree trunk in the spacious center of the restaurant, and crisp, delicious libations. Aplets and Cotlets announce the 2009 Chileno Valley Vineyard, Marin County Riesling ($25); tropical and lean grapefruit flavors provide the narrow core, leaving just a kiss of residual sugar. The 2008 Bella Sonoma, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($35) is heady with cinnamon and allspice, orange peel and cranberry flavors. Pair with penne and marinara sauce, natch. The harvest was split equally between winemaker Anthony Austin and Woodenhead’s Nick Stez, and the resulting juicy 2008 Bella Sonoma, Sonoma Coast Syrah ($29) twins show the same violet, blueberry and far-away feral animal aromas, with Austin’s warmer and Stez’s darker. In the future, look for a “bat blend” that will benefit restoration efforts in cooperation with the California Bat Conservation Fund. Bat boxes will be built throughout the vineyard, in hopes that the colony will stay during winery remodeling. Otherwise, those gathering clouds might be made of mosquitoes. Russian River Vineyards, 5700 Gravenstein Hwy. N., Forestville. Tasting 11am to 5pm daily. $5 fee. 707.887.3344.—James Knight